Connecting Body & Mind Through A Body Scan Meditation

A guided body scan meditation is a type of mindfulness practice that involves bringing attention to different parts of the body in a systematic way. In this meditation, you will be guided through a process of focusing on each part of the body, from the toes to the top of the head, and noticing any sensations that arise without judgment or interpretation. By becoming more aware of the body in this way, you can learn to relax more deeply, release tension and stress, and cultivate a greater sense of presence and awareness. This type of meditation can be done lying down or sitting in a comfortable position, and is often used as a way to begin a mindfulness practice or as a tool for stress reduction and relaxation.

Transcript

Connecting with your body and mind through a body scan meditation with Angelica Janic. Begin by finding a comfortable position in a quiet space where you can relax without interruption. Lying down on your back, With your arms at your sides and your palms facing up, Take as much time as you need if you would like to cover yourself with a blanket, Put a pillow under the head or bolster under the knees. When you are ready, Close your eyes and begin to take some deep breaths, Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth for the first few breaths. Allow the lips to gently close, The tip of the tongue to rest at the palate of the mouth, And continuing your breath now in and out of the nose, Focusing on the sound and the breath, Noticing how it makes your body feel. Whenever your mind wanders, Acknowledge it throughout the practice and gently bring yourself back to your body, To your breath, And to the areas that we will be focusing on to release any tension or discomfort. Taking a few more deep breaths, Allowing your body to relax with each exhale, Now bring your attention to the top of your head, Scanning the area around the skull, Around the eyebrows, The entire shape of your face, Tracing the nose, The temples, Cheekbones, Working down the jawline, Coming in and around the back of the ears, Toward the back of the head, Noticing any sensations that you may feel. Without labelling these sensations, Simply notice them, As we continue to scan the body, Noticing any areas that feel tense or uncomfortable. Be patient with yourself as you allow your breath into those areas, Imagining the tension melting away with each exhale, Relaxing the jaw, Creating a slight part to your teeth, And allowing the tongue to rest soft in the middle of the mouth, Letting the eyes sink back into their sockets without tension around the skin. Taking a deep breath in through the nose, And exhale out of the mouth. Start to squeeze the face, Tighten the eyes, Tighten the face around the nose, Tightening the jaw, Tightening so much that your breath starts to change. Taking an inhale as you continue to squeeze and tighten the face, Hold your breath for three, Two, And soften the muscles in the face. Bringing your awareness now to your neck and your shoulders, Allowing your shoulders to drop down away from your ears, Noticing the length of your neck, The opening of the collarbone, And the area around your upper back. Relaxing these muscles, Feeling your spine settle into the ground beneath you. Breathing a little easier now into the front of the chest, Around the depth of your heart as it fills the front, Sides, And back of your body, Scanning and bringing your attention toward your arms, The biceps, The triceps, The elbows, Forearms, Wrists, The front of your hand, The back of your hand, And gently tracing all ten of your fingertips, Allowing the arms, The hands to rest comfortably on the ground, And now start to create a fist with both palms, Bend at the elbows, Squeeze the forearms close to the chest, Inhale your shoulders up to the earlobes, Create tension, Hold your breath for three, Squeeze the arms a little tighter for two, And then exhale out of the mouth as you release the arms back down toward the ground. Steady breaths in through the nose, Out of the nose or mouth, Whatever makes you feel more comfortable, Moving your awareness toward the stomach, The middle of your back, Tracing down to the lower back, And the area just below your belly button, Noticing the natural rise and fall of your belly, The natural expansion of the lower, Mid, And upper lungs, Allowing each exhale to slowly soften the areas of the midsection, Feeling your abdominum relax with each breath. Expel all of the breath from your body now, And then inhale to fill the belly for three, The mid lungs for two, The upper chest for one, And then exhale out of the mouth. Once more, Inhale the belly for three, The lower lungs for two, The upper chest for one, And then exhale, Letting it go. Shifting your attention toward your hips and your pelvis, Allow these two areas to ground down into the floor, Feeling the full weight of your body being supported by the earth beneath you, Relaxing the area of your glutes and the pelvic floor muscles. Start to squeeze your glutes tightly together, Engaging through the pelvic floor kegels to lift in and up, Holding this area, Creating as much tension as you possibly can, Hold for three, Squeeze, For two, And on one slowly soften. As we continue to scan the body, Bringing your awareness toward your legs, The front of your thighs, The back of your thighs, The knees, Shins, Calves, All the way down to the ankles, Heels, The front of the foot, The back of the foot, And then tracing all ten of your toes, Doing your best to breathe into the lower half of your body, Allowing them all to relax completely. Start to curl the toes now, Lock out the knees, Even include the glutes again, As you start to bring tension into your quads, Hamstrings, Calves, And feet. Create as much tension as you can, Squeezing the muscles, Taking an inhale and hold the breath for three, Two, Exhale to soften the lower half of your body, Noticing how relaxed and at peace your body feels, Allowing yourself to surrender into deeper relaxation, Feeling complete ease in your body. A mindful body scan from the tips of the toes, Tracing up toward the hips, The shoulders to the top of the head, And start to bring tension into your entire body, Making a fist with the hands, Bending at the elbows, Pull the arms close into the trunk of your body, Shoulders up to the earlobes, Squeezing your glutes, The pelvic floor, Locking the jaw, Tightening the face, Curling the toes, Locking the knees, Squeeze your body as tight as possible, Your breath becomes constricted. Keep holding the squeeze a little tighter for three, For two, And on one relax the entire body back into the original position, Allowing the skin from the front to the back of your body to entirely soften, Bringing your awareness back to your breath, Five more, In through the nose, And out of the nose. When you are ready, Start to wiggle your fingers and your toes, Circle out the ankles and the wrists, Perhaps finding a full body stretch, Maybe there's a yawn in the body. You may stay here as long as you need, Or creating a pillow with your right arm and rolling to the right side of your body into fetal position, Slowly bringing awareness back into your body, The surroundings. And when you are ready, Open your eyes, Taking a few moments to reorientate yourself to the present moment.